Head spacing mechanism



Patented June 10, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEAD SPACING MECHANISM Edward L. von Hofen, Lancaster, Ohio, assignor to Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation, Lancaster, Ohio, a corporation of Delaware Application January 4, 1949, Serial No. 69.180

' (o1. zzs zz) 6 Claims. I

The present invention relates to the packaging of foodstuffs and the like and more particularly to means for removing excess quantities of material from containers. The device of the present invention is particularly useful in combination with sealing machines of the type disclosed in pending United States application Serial No. 558,226 of Frederick Z. Fouse, now Patent No. 2,510,568, issued June 6, 1950, which is owned by the assignee of the present application.

In the packaging of foodstufis and the like, particularly by vacuum sealing, it is highly desirable that each container have an unfilled volume or "head space which may receive steam during vacuumizing and capping. The amount of head space present affects to a considerable degree the amount of vacuum obtainable. If the containers are overfilled the head space is either completely lacking or is too small to receive a desirable amount of steam; hence there is not obtained a sufi'lciently high vacuum upon condensation of the steam beneath an applied closure. Since filling machines frequently overfill containers it is desirable that the vacuum or steam sealing machine be used in combination with means for automatically and continuously removing excess quantities of material from the containers, to thereby provide ample head space.

The present invention aims to provide a new and improved mechanism or apparatus of rela-' tively simple construction and operation for automatically and continuously removing excess quantities of material from overfilled containers.

An object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved device for removing excess quantities of material from containers.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means of the displacement type for removing excess quantities of material from containers. 7

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved head spacing means of relatively simple construction and operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved head spacing means which is adaptable for use with different sizes of containers.

A further object of the invention is to provide a new and improved head spacing device incorporating readily removable and replaceable material-displacing means.

Still another object of the invention is to pro vide improved head spacing means of relatively inexpensive and durable construction.

Other and further objects of the invention will be obvious upon an understanding of the illusa 2 trative embodiment about to be described, or will be indicated in the appended claims, and various advantages not referred to herein will occur to one skilled in the art upon employment of the invention in practice.

A preferred embodiment of the invention has been chosen for purposes of illustration and description and is shown in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the specification, wherein:

Fig. l is a top plan view, partly broken away, illustrating a general arrangement of the present head spacing apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross sectional view, partly broken away, showing an arm in material-displacing position and an arm in elevated position; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. previously filled containers 2 are carried continuously and in single file toward the head spacer by an endless type conveyor I, through the head spacer, and thence to a steam or vacuum sealing machine (not shown). The sealing machine may inject steam into the open container mouths and apply closures so that the steam may condense in the head space to form desired vacuum within the sealed container.

During movement through the head spacer the containers 2 are accurately positioned beneath movable head spacer units 4 by a sort of star wheel 5, which includes a pair of adjacent and relatively movable plate-like members 3 and 6 having positioning fingers I and 8. These star wheel plates 3 and 6 may be rotated with respect to each other to form containerreceiving pockets of desired size. A guide rail 10 maintains the containers in the pockets or openings of the star wheel 5. Each pocket of the star wheel 5 is adapted to accurately position an individual icontainer so that individual displacement means ll of the head spacer units 4 may be freely inserted into and withdrawn from the open upwardly disposed mouths of the containers, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

The conveyor I may be driven by a conveyor sprocket M which is bolted to a flange l5 of a hubmember Hi; the sprocket and hub rotate about a stationary upright column IS. The adjustable plate members of the star wheel 5 are carried by amounting disc I! shown bolted to the same hub l B which carries the conveyor sprocket i l. Thus the conveyor 1 and the star wheel 5 cooperate to position containers and move them through the machine. The head spacing operation may be performed on the containers as they move through about a ninety degree sector of the machine (Fig. l).

The head spacer units 4 are disposed circumferentially about the machine above the star wheel 5, each head spacer unit including a bracket-like part [9, and a movable arm or member 20. The bracket-like portions I9 may each be individual units, but preferably each forms part of a single unit which may be bolted through adjustment slots (not shown) to the hub It. The head spacer units it thus rotate with the star wheel 5.

Each arm or member of a head spacer unit 4 is rockably or rotatably mounted intermediate its ends on a rock shaft 22, which is in turn supported by the bracket-like member or part I 9, and may carry one or more displacement members H adjacent an outer end thereof. the arm or member 20 oscillates about the generally horizontal axis of the rock shaft 22, by means to be later described, the displacement member or members H move downwardly into the upwardly facing mouths of aligned containers 2 and cause displacement or overflowing of any excess contents; thereafter the displacer members i I are withdrawn. Preferably the side walls of the displacer members I i are slightly tapered or rounded to facilitate insertion into and removal from container mouths.

As shown, two displacement members are mounted adjacent the outer end of the arm 20 so that both may move together and simultaneously act upon two containers; this dual construction is advantageously used with small glass containers of the baby food size.

In some instances containers of different size may be head spaced by substituting different size displacement members H on the rocker arms 20. The substitution may be made by withdrawing the holding pins 23, removing the particular displacement member ll, inserting a different displacement member into the openings 24 of the arms 20, and thereafter replacing the holding pins 23. With some containers, for example, those of sufficiently large size there may be utilized only a single displacement member H at the outer end of a rocker arm 20.

Rocking or oscillation of the arms 20 to lower and raise the displacement members H is shown achieved by a centrally located cam surface 25 through the intermediation of cam rollers 26 secured by bolts 21 to the rocker arms 20. The cam surface 25 is preferably stationary and in operation the rollers 26 travel with the rocker arms beneath the cam. The relationship shown is such that a high area of the stationary cam surface 25 registers with container pockets of the star wheel 5 as the latter pass the low cam area; in this manner inner ends of the arms 20 may raise, thus lowering displacement members ll into registering container mouths to displace excess container contents. Adjacent low cam areas are effective to raise the displacement members.

It will be noted (Figs. 2 and 3) that each bracket-like member 19 has cut-away openings or portions 28 which form generally upwardly and outwardly disposed sockets or slots. This is a very desirable feature and provides for ready removal of a complete rocker arm 20 together with its displacement member or members I l and rollers 26 by merely lifting the rocker arm 20 in an upward and outward direction. Whenever it is desirable to substitute a different type or size of rocker arm and head spacer member, those already in the machine may be readily removed and the desired new ones or different size ones quickly inserted; it is not necessary to employ any tools or equipment or to dismantle any parts of the machine as a preliminary to removing the rocking arms.

The cam surface 25 which serves to actuate the rocker arms 20 through the rollers 26 is shown formed at a lower edge of a central caplike member 3|. The cap member 3i preferably does not rotate and is connected with the stationary upright column I 3 through the intermediation of key 32, upright member 33 welded or otherwise secured to an end plate 34, and bolts 35 which secure the end plate 34 to the stationary upright column I3.

Where desirable the cam surface 25 may be adjusted in height to accommodate different displacer units or to regulate the extent of movement of the rocker arms 20 and the displacer members ll. This may be achieved by rotating an adjusting nut 31 shown adjacent the upper part of Fig. The adjusting nut 31 is pinned to a threaded rod 38 and upon rotation of the adjusting nut together withsthe threaded rod 38 the latter moves up or down, depending upon the direction of rotation, with respect to the hollow upright member 33 within which it is threaded. Since the central cap 3| is secured by bolts to an annular member 40 seated on a shoulder of the threaded rod 38, it too is correspondingly raised or lowered together with the supporting shaft 38 and adjusting nut 31. A desired height adjustment may be retained by turning the looking screw 4| until its lower end engages with the upper surface of the annular member 40, thus preventing accidental rotation of the parts with respect to each other.

In operation containers 2 are moved by the conveyor l continuously toward, through, and out of the head spacing or displacing mechanism. Pockets of the star wheel 5 receive containers and transfer them, in cooperation with the guide rail 10, through the device. The displacement heads or members H carried by the rotatable or rockable arms 20 register with the upwardly disposed open mouths of the containers 2 pocketed in the recesses of the star wheel 5. The rocker arms lower the displacement members i l into the open container mouths and withdraw them upon oscillation of the rocker arms 20 about their rock shafts 22 under the influence of the cam surface 25. Either single or dual displacer members I i may be mounted on an appropriate rocker arm. Thus it is insured that each container is provided with a desired head space or volume between the upper surface of the material contained therein and the uppermost end of the container mouth. Upon leaving the head spacing device the containers pass to the vacuumizing and cap applying portion of the machine.

It will be seen that the present invention provides a new and improved device or apparatus for effectively displacing excess quantities of material such as foodstuffs from containers. The device is relatively simple in construction and operation and may be readily manufactured and installed in existing machines as well as new ones. Different head spacer units may be quickly and easily interchanged by merely lifting upwardly and outwardly on the particular units of the machine to remove them from the seating sockets of the bracket-like support members. The device is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and install and its simplified and rugged construction makes it well adapted to operate over long periods of time without requiring excessive maintenance.

As various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and without sacrificing any of its advantages, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a device of the class described adapted to displace materials from containers, the combination of a member rotatably mounted to move about a generally horizontal axis, displacing means depending from and movable with said member, a cam roller carried by said member, a cam effective against said roller for moving said member and the displacing means depending therefrom, a key for holding said cam against rotation, and means including a vertically adjustable threaded member for selectively raising and lowering said cam.

2. In a device adapted to displace materials from containers, the combination of a generally vertically rockable arm, displacing means carried by said arm, means for rocking said arm and thereby lowering and raising said displacing means, and support means for said arm having a normally open and generally upwardly facing socket within which is rockingly seated a part of said arm.

3. In a device adapted for use in displacing materials from containers, the combination of a generally vertically rockable arm, displacing means carried by said arm, means for rocking said arm and thereby lowering and raising said displacing means, and support means for said arm having a normally open and generally outwardly facing socket withinwhich is rockingly seated a part of said arm.

4. In a device adapted to displace materials from containers, the combination of an arm member adapted to rock about a generally horizontal axis, displacing means projecting downwardly from said arm member, a support member, projecting means carried by one of said members for supporting said arm member on the support member, the other of said members having a generally U-shaped portion extending partially about said projecting means for facilitating disassembly and assembly of said members, and means for rocking said arm member about said axis and thereby lowering and raising said displacing means.

5. In a device for displacing material from containers, the combination of a lever member mounted for tilting about a generally horizontal axis, a material-displacing plunger depending from an outer portion of said lever member having a body portion with a cross section adapted to fill the major portion of a container mouth to thereby displace material from the container solely by insertion thereinto, cam means above an inner portion of said lever member for moving said inner portion downwardly about said axis to move the outer portion upwardly and the plunger out of a container, said inner portion of the lever member being free of restraint against downward movement whereby said lever member may tilt about said axis in the event said plunger is obstructed by a portion of a container during its downward movement.

6. In a device adapted. to displace materials from containers, the combination of an arm member adapted to rock about a generally horizontal axis, a plurality of spaced apart displacing means projecting downwardly from said arm member, a support member, projecting means carried by one of said members for supporting said arm member on the support member, the other of said members having a generally U- shaped portion extending partially about said projecting means for facilitating disassembly and assembly of said members, and means for rocking said arm member about said axis and thereby simultaneously lowering and raising said plurality of displacing means.

EDWARD L. voN HOFEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,072,412 Anderson et al. Sept. 9, 1913 1,307,248 Fluck June 17, 1919 1,507,107 Coyle Sept. 2, 1924 2,267,744 Nordquist Dec. 30, 1941 2,454,285 Krueger Nov. 23, 1948 

